Reddit formatting and Markdown
Reddit is one of the few large sites that genuinely runs on Markdown rather than something that resembles it. Almost everything you already know works. The differences are two additions — superscript and spoilers — and one editor toggle that hides the syntax until you find it.
Edit this — standard Markdown, which is most of what Reddit accepts
Result
Runs entirely in this tab. Open the full editor to work on a real document.
The preview renders standard Markdown. The two lines it does not
understand — ^superscript and >!spoiler!< —
are exactly the Reddit-only formats.
Every format
| Format | Syntax | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bold | **bold** | Two asterisks |
| Italic | *italic* | One asterisk or underscore |
| Strikethrough | ~~struck~~ | Two tildes |
| Superscript | ^text | Reddit only — runs to the next space |
| Spoiler | >!hidden!< | Reddit only — click to reveal |
| Link | [text](url) | Bare URLs link themselves too |
| Quote | > quoted | One > per nesting level |
| Code | `inline`, ```block``` | Four leading spaces also works |
| Table | | a | b | | Separator row required |
| Heading | # to ###### | All six levels |
Superscript
A caret makes the rest of the word superscript:
normal ^superscript normal again
It stops at the first space, which is why footnote-style asides get
written ^(like this) — the brackets hold the whole phrase
together. Stacking carets nests it, so ^^smaller goes
smaller still. This is Reddit's own invention and means nothing anywhere
else.
Spoilers
>!the butler did it!<No spaces immediately inside the markers or it will not render. The block shows as a solid bar and reveals on click.
Older threads use [](/s "hidden text"), which was a
subreddit CSS trick rather than a feature. It still works in some places
and is worth recognising, but there is no reason to write it now.
The editor toggle
New Reddit opens the post and comment boxes in a rich-text mode where typed Markdown characters mostly do nothing. The toggle is in the corner of the box — labelled Markdown Mode or shown as a T-shaped icon — and the choice is remembered.
Old Reddit has no toggle and no rich-text mode: everything is Markdown. If a formatting guide you are reading assumes that, it was written for old Reddit.
What Reddit does not support
- Images by Markdown.
does nothing. Images are uploaded to a post, or linked as an ordinary link which Reddit expands into a preview. - HTML. Not rendered anywhere, including
<u>and<details>. - Underline. No syntax, and no HTML fallback either — this is one place where bold really is the only option.
- Task lists. The checkbox syntax renders as literal brackets.
- Footnotes. Superscript with a manual link is the usual substitute.
Line breaks are the usual surprise
A single newline joins the lines into one paragraph, which is standard Markdown behaviour and consistently surprising in a comment box. Press Enter twice, or end the line with two spaces.
The rich-text editor inserts the blank line for you, so the same keystrokes produce different results in the two modes. That is the single most common reason a comment posts as one dense block.
Common questions
- Does Reddit use Markdown?
- Yes. Reddit has used Markdown since the beginning and the current site uses a variant of CommonMark. It adds superscript and spoilers, and drops a few things — most noticeably there is no image syntax, because images are uploaded rather than linked.
- How do I use the Markdown editor?
- The comment and post boxes open in a rich-text mode by default. Switch with the "Markdown Mode" or "Switch to Markdown Editor" toggle on the box — usually a T-shaped or pencil icon in the corner. Old Reddit is Markdown-only and has no toggle.
- How do I make a spoiler?
- Wrap the text in >! and !< with no spaces inside — >!like this!<. It renders as a hidden block that reveals on click. Some subreddits also use the older [](/s "text") form, which is a leftover from a CSS trick and is no longer needed.
- Why did my line break disappear?
- A single newline is not a line break in Markdown — Reddit joins the lines into one paragraph. Press Enter twice for a new paragraph, or end the line with two spaces. The rich-text editor hides this by inserting the blank line for you, which is why the same text behaves differently in the two modes.
- Can I make a table?
- Yes, with pipes and a separator row, the same as GitHub. Tables are supported on new Reddit and on old Reddit, though they are cramped on mobile — anything wider than three columns is usually better as a list.
- How do I quote someone?
- Start the line with a > and a space. Reddit does not have a quote-reply button, so this is how quoting works — copy the text, prefix it, and reply underneath. Nested quotes need one > per level.